Fan:Chapter 17: A Helping Claw
Josiah didn’t sleep well that night at all. He sat in silence for a time, watching the albino baryonyx sleep. Shelly had fallen asleep and the fire had died down to nothing, leaving only ash. Josiah swallowed hard. ‘''Rudy’s predicament is the same as ours,’'' he thought. ‘''We’re trapped down here no different then him.’ Staring at the sleeping form of the dinosaur, he contemplated the matter. The dinosaur was an enemy to every living thing down here in the dinosaur world. He was vicious by nature and attacked anything he saw as prey. He felt another shiver go down his back. The thought of the dinosaur devouring Shelly and him made Josiah think and rethink about helping Rudy even more. Rudy could never change his ways. But what if he did? What if Rudy did change his ways after Shelly and he help him out? He stared at the albino baryonyx, and in the silence of the chasm he felt his confidence grow and tremble like a maple leaf. He threw more sticks on the fire to rekindle the flame, crawled into his sleeping bag, and went to sleep. When Josiah woke up, his head ached and he had a heavy feeling all over. He felt Shelly near, but something was wrong…he shivered with the cold. Suddenly he snapped awake. That was it…that was what was wrong! The cold…it shouldn’t have been cold…not by the fire. He looked at the glowing ashes of what had been a small blaze. He got up out his sleeping bag, feeling the unmistakable sense of danger. He jerked his head to Rudy, who was still asleep, then to each side of the chasm. When he turned to the left he froze. In the silvery, faint brightening of predawn, he saw a lone ceratosaur standing in the chasm path. Its yellow fangs made a demon-like grin. It was the same ceratosaur he and Shelly had encountered last time. Josiah yelled to Shelly and pushed at the branches that he had just put onto the fire. A couple was smoking, but there were no flames because the ashes weren’t hot enough. “Shelly, get up!” Josiah shouted again with panic, as the predator started moving toward them. The awful reeking stink of the dinosaur made him gag. Shelly was on her feet, pulling her stun pistol from her sleeping bag. Her hands were shaking even as she tried to hold the pistol steady. She squeezed the trigger and a powerful bolt shot out with a ‘KA-ZAP’. The recoil of the pistol knocked Shelly off balance. A spray of dirt and rock flew up at the side of the ceratosaur. Shelly had missed. The dinosaur jump and growled…then raced at them. Everything happened at great speed, yet it seemed like a slow-motion movie. Josiah watched in horror as it moved in on Shelly. Shelly let out a scream and tried to back away; kicking a boot to keep the dinosaur away from her, but the ceratosaur came at her with its jaws wide open. Its teeth sank into Shelly’s boot. The dinosaur whipped its head back and fourth, lifting Shelly off the ground. The pistol flew from her hand, away from her reach. Shelly’s awful scream cut right through Josiah. He Pulled out his pistol from his belt and fired at the dinosaur. The blue bolt struck the ceratosaur in the head, but its scales were too tough for it to have much effect. Josiah lifted the pistol again and this time he fired at its neck. The bolt shot through the scales, making a round bloody gash. The ceratosaur roared with anger and dropped Shelly then went for Josiah. He ducked, but its strong, muscled tail hit him in the stomach. He landed on his back, the breath forced out of him. He looked over at Shelly and saw that she was crying. Josiah knew that the ceratosaur was going to eat him and Shelly, which it would be upon them in seconds. He thought that it would go for their throats, and at least their death would come quickly. The dinosaur opened its jaws, and roared. And suddenly they heard another bellowing roar, coming from in front of them. Looking up, Josiah saw Rudy lift his neck and head, his teeth glinting in the morning light. The baryonyx glared at the ceratosaur, who’s teeth were inches from Shelly, then raised his head high and bellowed again. The ceratosaur stopped, and then stepped back away from Shelly and Josiah. It hissed defiantly at Rudy and Josiah saw that it had a sinister-like grin on its face. The ceratosaur turned and fled into the chasm, the grin still etched on its horned face, and by the time Josiah’s shaking legs let him stand up, the chasm was empty. Josiah went over to Shelly, who was lying on the ground, crying and groaning as she breathed. “Shelly, are you alright?” he croaked, trying not to lose it. “I shot it in the neck…its bleeding really badly. It ran off into the chasm.” “My hero,” she said with a weak smile, but her voice was shaking. “Is my foot still there, Clover?” she had tears on her cheeks from the pain. Her boot was ripped and Josiah could see some blood underneath. From what he could tell the cuts didn’t go too deep, but she wasn’t going to in great shape for walking. Josiah thought that this didn’t make any sense. The ceratosaur was a powerful predator, and yet it didn’t kill Shelly outright. They were both easy prey and not as big as it, but still it didn’t kill them as swiftly as it should have. Josiah had the feeling that that ceratosaur only wanted to surprise and wound them before finishing them off. The fact that Rudy’s roar scared it off didn’t ease him. The ceratosaur had a grin on its face and the way it retreated swiftly gave Josiah a bad feeling. “You’re bleeding a bit, but not too badly. We better keep your boot laced up,” he told her, since the pressure of the boot would help stop the swelling and bleeding. “But don’t go into shock on me, Shell,” he told her, putting his sleeping bag around her shoulders as she struggled to sit up. “How do you feel, Josiah?” Shelly asked. “Awful I bet.” He only nodded and knelt down to her side. Shelly threw the sleeping bag around him, too, and they huddled together. “I don’t believe that this is happening, Shelly,” Josiah said, rubbing his arm across his eyes. “I’m supposed to be responsible for you, and Ken. And now this has happened.” “It’s not your fault…I missed the shot,” Shelly said, trying to make him feel better. “I missed that dino by an inch and almost got us killed. I guess I….” Josiah put his fingers to her lips. “Its okay, Shell, you did your best anyway.” Shelly pointed towards her stun pistol. “I couldn’t even hit that guy straight on. Good thing you shot in the neck when you had the chance.” “That’s not ''why it ran away, Shelly.” “What do you mean?” she asked, looking down the gorge. He told her about the grin the ceratosaur had on its face and how that grin was directed at Rudy before it fled. Josiah had a bad feeling that ceratosaur was going back for its pack to bring them here to eat them, and Rudy. “Can you walk, Shelly?” Josiah asked. “I…I think so,” She said with a grimace. “Good. ‘Cause I’m gonna’ need your help to get Rudy free.” Shelly instantly gave Josiah a look of surprise and caution. “Free him? What do you mean free him? Do you think that’s wise?” Josiah turned to Rudy, then to Shelly. “We can’t leave him like this, Shelly. It wouldn’t be right.” “Oh, well, you’re probably right. The poor guy does look like he needs help.” Josiah straightened up. He walked over to Rudy who was still glaring at the incline of the gulch where the ceratosaur had fled. As soon as his eyes fell on Josiah, he gave the boy a puzzled look. “Listen, Rudy, me and Shelly have come to an agreement,” he said up to the baryonyx. “We’re gonna’ help you get free from those rocks on top of you, but you got to promise not to eat us while we’re helping you. Okay?” Rudy let out a soft doubtful growl, like he didn’t trust what Josiah said. “Look, Rudy,” he said, in a more serious tone. “That ceratosaur will be back with company real soon. And I very much doubt that they will be happy to see you. When they get here, they’ll kill us, slash us into mincemeat, and then finally devour us.” The last part was added with a little bit of unnecessary emphasis. Rudy tilted his head and then snorted. This made Josiah frown deeply with irritation. “Rudy, you don’t seem to understand!” he half shouted. “If those ceratosaurs kill us, then they’ll kill you.” Rudy turned his head away, not answering. “We’re not showing you pity,” Josiah went on, his voice calm. “We’re showing you kindness. And right now, I need your promise that you will not try and eat us. Shelly and I are going to remove as much as the rocks as possible so you can get free. So you have to trust us.” He paused, staring at Rudy until the dinosaur literally had to return the gaze. “I’m asking you now, Rudy. Will you trust us?” Meanwhile, deeper in the chasm, the ceratosaur had returned to its hunting group. It addressed the leader, a large bull ceratosaur with a red horn, and told him of what he saw during his morning hunt. Red horn’s yellow eyes gleamed with malevolence and hunger. The black bristles along his red and black hide rattled. Rudy was finally going to pay dearly for all the times he’d driven away his pack from the kills that were rightfully theirs. For too long Rudy had claimed the carcasses of the horn snouts. For too long had that murderer been allowed to get away with the bodies of his pack members. Well, it was time for him to join them. With Rudy injured and weak, this was the time to attack. Red horn and his pack would finish Rudy off once and for all. Category:Fan